Kasungu National Park
Expert Reviews (2)
Malawi Parks
Philip is an acclaimed travel writer and author of many guidebooks, including the Bradt guides to Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa.
3 people found this review helpful.
Peaceful Bush Retreat with Low Wildlife Densities and Plenty of Potential
Malawi’s second-largest national park naturally harbors a greater diversity of large mammals than any other protected area in the country. This is partly because it shares an open border with Zambia’s famously wildlife-rich Luangwa Valley. Despite this, most animal populations in Kasungu are thin, dispersed and skittish as a result of poaching. On my most recent visit, in May 2024, I saw warthog and a few types of antelope – notably sable, puku and waterbuck – and heard plenty of hippos from my banda in the inexpensive Lifupa Lodge, which overlooks a pretty dam of the same name. The park management also showed me recent photo trap images of lion, leopard and African wild dog, but told me that these large carnivores are very seldom seen, even on night drives. More than 200 elephants were translocated to the park in 2022, and these reputedly often visit the dam during the dry season. Park management, with funding and support from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), is busy erecting fences around the entire domestic boundary to reduce conflict between wildlife and local communities. For the time being, Kasungu and Lifupa Lodge are probably better viewed as offering a low-key, low-cost bush retreat than as a full-blown safari destination. Having said that, once the fences are fully erected, the capacity for wildlife to move across from Zambia, together with a likely future program of reintroductions, mean that this vast park has potential to be one of the finest in Malawi.
Ariadne is a renowned African wildlife photographer whose work is featured in many well-known guidebooks and magazines.
2 people found this review helpful.
A Lovely Spot by Lifupa Dam
While Kasungu is not a great wildlife destination, I have nice memories staying at the lodge overlooking Lifupa dam. The best time to enjoy this spot is early in the morning, with a mug of coffee in hand, when the mist rises from the water and hippos happily grunt away. I did one game drive, but didn’t see anything except a few antelope and some very old-looking elephant footprints. Unfortunately, poaching has taken its toll here, but if you like a bush break away from it all, a stay at the unpretentious, affordable lodge might be something for you.